Time to Celebrate!

We were friends for almost 5 years before we ever went out on a date. We were teammates first since we both threw javelin at Texas A&M. We credit our relationship to our college coach, Chico-- he's had quite a few marriages come from his recruiting (Thanks, Chico). During this time we watched each other date other people and go through tough heartbreaks, but we always retained a deep friendship. We were each other's cheerleaders. And then... it just so happened that we would both be interning in Dallas, Texas over the summer. We didn't know anyone else in the city and immediately gravitated toward each other as we were both looking for places to train/throw javelin. We became summer training partners. Neither of us were looking for a relationship, just a friend. We went to baseball games, got smoothies, and hung out as much as time allowed. Our friendship continued to grow. When the Fall semester hit, Maggie went back to College Station to finish her Masters degree and Sam stayed in Dallas. Little did either of us know, we both started having feelings for the other. When Sam came back to College Station, we started our regular routine of working out together and getting to know each other more. Maggie had told herself she wasn't going to date anyone in 2019, she felt she would just focus on herself. And then Sam came barreling into the picture... in February. We went on our first date in May. It was unforgettable. Hammock, fire, lake, and roasting sausages. It was end-game from there. Sam officially asked Maggie to be his girlfriend on July 4th, 2019... in Dallas, TX.

Sam & Maggie decided to spend Christmas 2021 with the Malones. Little did Maggie know, Sam had a surprise. Maggie had always said she wanted her family around if/when she was proposed to... and Sam listened. Months of stealthily planning with Audrey, Andy (Sam's dad), and Howard the jeweler, Sam had it mapped out. The ring would be sent to Audrey's apartment. Audrey would hide it until Maggie & Sam came for the holiday. Once they were there, Sam would take it with him to the Malone Christmas in Palestine, TX. Well, the ring didn't come as expected. It actually didn't arrive at all before they got to Dallas. But, the plan was always to go to Palestine for Christmas. So Maggie, Audrey & Sam traveled to Palestine to spend time with Maggie's family. The ring did arrive eventually. Sam got an alert that it couldn't be delivered to Audrey's apartment because no one was there. So now, it would go back to the Dallas Post Office where it would be locked up until someone was able to pick it up. This was a nightmare. Maggie had planned a tight schedule which did not allow any time for Sam to go pick up the ring. Their flight out of Dallas wouldn't let Sam get to the Post Office without tipping off Maggie. It would be impossible to get this ring. And then... Christmas Eve came. Maggie woke up feeling a little funky that morning but decided to get her regular workout in with the group. By the time they got to the gym, Maggie felt horrible. Headache. Fatigue. Body Aches. Chills. She got the 'RONA... AKA Covid. They immediately went back to the Malone house where Maggie slept for the next 5 hours. Maggie was terrified of giving her parents COVID, so she decided to go back to Audrey's apartment where they could quarantine. This worked out in Sam's favor. At the time, there was a 2-week recommended quarantine for anyone traveling. So, Maggie & Sam had to change their flight schedule. Which gave just enough time for Sam to get this ring without Maggie knowing. The quarantine was long. A lot of Yellowstone watching. Too much Yellowstone. Maggie slowly started feeling better. Working up to outdoor walks (masked up). On December 30th, 2021, Maggie got the negative Covid result. Sam had suggested they go out for a birthday dinner to celebrate Maggie. Pizza, of course. At first, Maggie wasn't sure, she still didn't feel quite herself. But after some coercion from Audrey, the group went out for pizza. Audrey said she wanted to go look at the Christmas lights in Highland Park after dinner, so the three of them walked around the area admiring the homes. This was always Maggie's favorite spot in Dallas, and Sam remembered from their summer in Dallas. They arrived in a small park area with a beautifully lit-up gazebo. Maggie started walking towards it when all of a sudden Sam stopped her and pulled her arm. He was on one knee.

We knew we wanted to elope since we got engaged. Track season, travel, planning a wedding... it was going to be a lot. Thankfully, we were a part of a wonderful church in Phoenix, AZ with the BEST pastor (who was from Birmingham, AL). How wild is that? We toyed around with the idea of eloping on July 4th. It was the day we decided to officially be in a relationship, and it just so happened that Maggie's siblings (Audrey & Cal) would be coming to town. We needed 2 witnesses, so this would work perfectly. We asked Pastor Matt if he would be willing to marry us, and he joyfully agreed! He's truly the best. We didn't want anything fancy. It was all about God. We shared with only a few people... but wanted to surprise Maggie's siblings. So, the night before, we took them out to our favorite taco joint, Taco Guild, as sort of a "rehearsal dinner." Around the table Maggie said, she had a secret to tell and said let's play telephone. She whispered, "we're eloping tomorrow morning." And it got passed around the table. Their faces were shocked. And then after telling them what time we had to get up... they were not excited. 5:30AM was going to come fast. They came around to it though (thanks to Audrey's boyfriend, Matt). July 4th, 2022 was the best day of our lives. We got married outside at McDowell Sonoran Preserve, at sunrise. It was a beautiful day. The mountains behind us, the sky illuminating with color. We surprised our parents and face timed them so they could be a part of it as well. Pastor Matt had an incredible sermon-- speaking about the Fruits of the Spirit and using a Redwood tree as imagery for our marriage. Little did he know, we had carefully chosen our communion wine bottle to represent us both... and on the bottle was a REDWOOD TREE. It's called "Pacific Redwood." It's organic. God was everywhere that day. Although we wish we could have had all of our loved ones there to celebrate with us, we are excited to have you around us 1 year later!